District Attorney George Gascón will face 11 challengers in Tuesday's primary election, featuring a mix of prosecutors and candidates who say they can offer a more moderate approach to criminal justice reform.
“This campaign is not about me, this is a community movement,” Gascón said last November, when he kicked off his reelection campaign. “This is about looking at the criminal justice system of the 21st century not with a rear-view mirror but looking forward.''Jonathan Hatami, a child abuse prosecutor; Lloyd “Bobcat” Masson, a cold case prosecutor; John McKinney, supervising district attorney; Maria Ramirez, the head deputy D.A.; and Eric Siddall, a violent crimes prosecutor.
Masson said his top priority is “dropping the hammer” on all robbery, burglary and theft-related offenses, including follow-home robberies, car thefts, retail theft and catalytic converter thefts. “I would also end all blanket zero-bail policies and operate in accord with what local communities want,” Masson added. The prosecutor stated that sticking to old tough-on-crime tactics won't solve the problem, just as the “current emphasis on no jail time has not worked.
Ramirez, head deputy D.A., joined the District Attorney's Office in 1990 and became the first Latina to be promoted to that position, according to her campaign. Ramirez said voters have grown distrustful of Gascón's leadership. “We, as leaders of the justice system in L.A. County, must begin to fix the deep erosion of public trust,'' Ramirez said on her campaign's website.
Mitchell was appointed to the L.A. County Superior Court in 2005. He has presided over numerous high-profile cases and has become known for his commitment to rehabilitation and restorative justice, according to his campaign. Prior to serving as a judge, Mitchell was an L.A. deputy D.A. for more than a decade. “Los Angeles is in crisis,” Mitchell said on his campaign's website. “This crisis cannot be solved with a one-size-fits-all system of justice. I will put our citizens first.
Hochman, a former U.S. assistant attorney general, is offering what he describes as a “blueprint for justice.” “I am shocked and disappointed at how our public safety has seriously worsened over the last three years under current D.A. George Gascón,” Hochman stated on his campaign website. ``I am prepared to fight to restore it. My Blueprint for Justice outlines the changes I will make as your District Attorney to restore safety and justice to our county.